The village shop is a model for success – at least that’s what a recent survey by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs revealed. Feedback came from 224 of the 260 municipalities surveyed that opening such a shop had been worthwhile for the locality. So far there is only one village shop in the Ebersberg district, in Moosach, which opened in March 2017. According to Bernhard Wagner, advisory board member of the village shop association and SPD municipal councilor, the new shopping offer could be available in the small community in autumn 2023.
The history goes back to the 1990s
There have been considerations about establishing a village shop in Egmating since the 1990s, and in 2014 it became a campaign issue. At that time, the SPD had called for improved local supply and the establishment of a village shop. The background was that both the local baker and the butcher had closed shortly before. The Active Citizens’ List of Egmating (ABE) party, headed by the current mayor Inge Heiler, also campaigned for this. In a demand survey initiated by the ABE, the majority of Egmating residents were in favor of a village shop.
In 2009, a village shop was opened in the Harthausen district of Grasbrunn.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
Among other things, this served as a model for the people of Moosach, here the building on Grafinger Straße, which they moved into this spring.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
The Harthausen village shop in the municipality of Grasbrunn, which opened in 2009, should be a model, says Wagner, which the people of Moosach have also used as a guide. There, the residents were able to subscribe to shares in the planned shop and in return have a say in the concept, for example which range should be offered. However, the project was initially not without controversy, the former mayor Ernst Eberherr (CSU) was against it for a long time, he and parts of the municipal council long favored the settlement of a discounter – but nothing ever came of it.
At the beginning of 2018, the village shop project became concrete: There was a founding event at which shareholders were advertised. At that time there was talk of a starting capital of 40,000 euros, the minimum investment is 250 euros, so 160 shares would have to be sold. This goal seemed to be achieved quickly, just under a month after the founding event, 35,000 euros had been collected.
The location search took a little longer
The Egmatinger have not been able to shop in their village shop for a long time because a suitable location has not been found for a long time. Mayor Heiler pointed out about a year ago that the community itself did not have the financial means to erect a building for the village shop. However, the initiative could now have found one: in the building of the former Raiffeisenbank. The rooms in question also belong to the municipality, and the municipal council had already approved the new use in the spring.
According to Wagner, information about the interest in the rooms has now also been given at the building’s apartment owners’ meeting. Although there were concerns about possible noise pollution, the approval clearly outweighed “since the advantages for everyone involved are obvious”. According to Wagner, we will continue to talk to the owners, “so that we can work together to get our village shop off to a good start”.
Further partners are still being sought
However, this cannot be opened for about a year at the earliest, as the building will be used as accommodation for refugees from Ukraine until mid-2023. Wagner also sees this positively: “This leaves enough time to make all the preparations for the start of the village shop in late autumn 2023.” The schedule should be drawn up at the end of September this year.
The initiative behind the project is still very active: in July, Daniel Bachmeier, Bernhard Wagner, Hans Heiler (jun.) and Uwe Kowolik were elected to the new advisory board, and additional shareholders were also recruited, three of whom signed at the election meeting . Additional shareholders are not only welcome, but also necessary for the project to be a success, says Wagner. Anyone who wants to become a co-owner of what is only the second village shop in the Ebersberg district can secure one or more shares at [email protected].